How to Prune the Filbert. 307 



originated in English gardens. These are known as the 

 Cosford, Frizzled and White filberts. They are abundant 

 bearers and fine-flavored kinds. We have had them in fruit 

 for four or five years, and although we have bestowed but 

 little pains upon their pruning, yet we have had a fair crop 

 of nuts from a few trees. 



But to raise the filbert to advantage and profit it is requi- 

 site that the pruning of the trees should be fully understood ; 

 without this, the produce would be small. It is from this 

 circumstance that the Kent growers are so successful in rais- 

 ing the filbert. Rogers, an old practical gardener and author 

 of an excellent little treatise called the Fruit Cultivator^ in 

 speaking of the cultivation of the filbert, makes the follow- 

 ing very just remarks, which may be applied to other 

 operations in gardening as well as that to which the author 

 alludes : — 



" It may be a matter of wonder, but so it happens, that 

 the generality of gardeners know little, or nothing, about 

 pruning the filbert trees. The art has never been studied 

 either by masters or men, and it is remarkable that this 

 branch of the pruner's art should have been brought to per- 

 fection by the untaught, unlettered Kentish peasant — with- 

 out books — without master, save experience — without mis- 

 tress, save nature herself! It is curious too, that this art 

 has been engrossed by the laborers in the central part of the 

 country, and without its being followed in other parts of the 

 kingdom. The knowledge seems to have descended from 

 father to son, for generations, and a very useful portion of 

 rustic knowledge it is. Here the author begs to observe, 

 how much more valuable is the knowledge which has been 

 gained by the mere dint of practical experience, compared 

 with that emanating from theoretical writers, who bury what 

 they really know of practical matters, beneath a load of hard 

 names and learned quotations, which only serve to puzzle 

 rather than inform the reader. So much of this kind of 

 writing is now extant, that, though read over and over again, 

 and even committed to memory, the reader would not be so 

 wise during his whole life (especially as respects the pruning 



